Special education, for students ages 3 to 21, is guided by federal and state requirements. The federal requirements are referred to as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The state requirements are referred to as the Ohio Operating Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities (Ohio Operating Standards). This guide…

A written state complaint is used to communicate that a public agency (such as your child's school) has not followed the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and to request an investigation of the problem. This publication describes Written State Complaints generally for Part B of the Individuals with…

A resolution meeting is a dispute resolution process that takes place after a parent files a due process complaint. Resolution meetings offer parents and school districts the opportunity to resolve issues before a due process hearing happens. This publication describes Resolution Meetings generally for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities…

This handbook was developed to support parents of children with disabilities in understanding the Federal and State requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It provides information that promotes working with the school district to help provide appropriate services to children, while informing parents of their…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) and its final Part B Implementing Regulations describe how disagreements about special education services between parents and schools may be resolved. This guide for families will help readers to have a better understanding of resolution meetings, one of the ways in which…

This brief guide for parents of children with disabilities offers tips on being the child's advocate. Parents are first urged to believe in their child, believe in their own intuition, and educate themselves. They are also encouraged to: (1) document events and encounters including both objective facts and subjective response, (2) document and…

This publication attempts to answer common questions that parents, teachers, administrators, and others have about mediation as a means of resolving conflicts between parents of a child with a disability and the school district. Four real life stories are used to show how experienced mediators use a variety of methods to help participants work out…

This brief paper discusses the use of mediation as a method for resolving disagreements between schools or early intervention programs and parents of children with disabilities. It identifies benefits of mediation such as maintenance of an ongoing and positive relationship between the school and family, simple resolution of conflicts arising out…

This brief paper, in Spanish, discusses the use of mediation as a method for resolving disagreements between schools or early intervention programs and parents of children with disabilities. It identifies benefits of mediation such as maintenance of an ongoing and positive relationship between the school and family, simple resolution of conflicts…

Two booklets, in English and Spanish, are addressed to families of disabled adults and offer guidelines for establishing an adult relationship with the disabled individual within the family. Stressed are the importance of helping the disabled adult develop a positive self image, learning to truly listen to the adult as part of improving…

This paper is designed to enable disability activists, parents, and advocates to negotiate effectively. It begins by describing negotiations for short-term or long-term changes and different approaches for negotiating. Steps for preparing for negotiation are listed, along with strategies: (1) control the negotiation session; (2) never negotiate…

This booklet, designed for use by Missouri parents and schools, provides information on using mediation as a non-adversarial alternative to resolving disputes in special education. It compares mediation with impartial due process hearings and complaint investigations, and describes the special education mediation process as voluntary for parents…

This booklet for parents, in question and answer format, provides basic information on the mediation process in the resolution of conflicts between parents and educators concerning special education. The first section is intended to help parents decide if mediation is the appropriate route in their situation. It addresses such topics as how…

This article describes how parent representatives can effectively prepare for and conduct due process hearings as required under Public Law 94-142 when conflict resolution efforts fail. Key terms involved in the legislation are discussed, as are applications of the Attorney's Fee Act to minimize the financial burden involved in such litigation.…

This guide for parents of children with disabilities explains the basics of the special education process focusing on parent participation in the process of developing the child's individualized education program (IEP). The first section reviews the IEP process including what is involved, the IEP meeting, who attends the IEP meeting, the role of…